In 1948, when the world was still reeling from the devastation of World War II, Garry Davis, a
former Broadway actor and World War II B-17 bomber pilot, came to Paris to renounce his US
citizenship and declare himself a "citizen of the world." His action sparked a movement. On
November 19th, 1948, Albert Camus, Andre Breton, Emmanuel Mounier, Abb‚ Pierre, Robert
Sarrazac, Jean Helion, Louis Rosen, Claude Bourdet and others, joined Garry in interrupting a
session of the United Nations General Assembly at the Palais de Chaillot to call for 'one
government for one world.' 20,000 people gathered in the Vel D'Hiv, to demand that we-the-
people take control of our planet by declaring our own world government. Cahors in southern
France joined the movement by declaring itself a "world city." Over 900 cities and towns
throughout France and the world followed Cahor's lead by "mondializing."
53 years later, while the world is still reeling from the aftershocks of the September 11th
terrorist attack, Garry Davis, now 80, is back. He is returning to Paris November 16-22 with a
screenwriter and a producer who are developing a movie of his life. And his prescription for the
current crisis? Still world citizenship and world law, more crucial than ever.
"Terrorism by definition is a lawless act." Davis said in a statement released by the World
Service Authority office in Washington DC. "The only way to eliminate lawlessness is by
instituting law where there is none. And as terrorism is a global phenomenon, so its elimination
will only come about when world law and its institutions evolve."
"Terrorism cannot be eliminated by war - which is simply institutionalized terrorism. It's as if
firemen come to your house to fight fire with fire. The whole place goes up in smoke! We've had
technology that can eliminate the human race since 1945. Given that, what kind of social and
political order is vitally necessary to protect our inalienable human rights of `life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness'? Each and every human being must address that question."
"My favorite pursuit, my pastime, my obsession, indeed my real and true love is, you've
guessed it, the world!" says Davis, who is seeking a French publisher for his latest book, Dear
World, A Global Odyssey. "It's really a love letter to our precious, vibrant, enduring, embracable,
yet, cosmically indifferent, One World."
"On the one side you have all the terrorists, armies and bureaucrats of the world. On the other
you have one man, armed only with guts and a big idea," says writer/producer Arthur Kanegis, "It
will make a great and important movie. Some of the scenes, e.g. where Garry's bomber is shot
down, where he crashes the Khyber Pass into Afghanistan or where he steals across the no-mans-
land into East Germany -- are as dramatic as scenes from a thriller, but more gripping, because
these events really happened." Kanegis is part of a group planning to develop and produce the
film. The group includes Rowland Perkins, who co-founded the Creative Artists Agency in
Hollywood and other Hollywood veterans.
Kanegis will be videotaping Davis on November 19th at noon at the Trocadero park where
Davis camped for 7 days in September, 1948, when it was declared "international territory" for
the 3 month UN General Assembly session
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